Firefight

He’s a bitter, fascinated
dangerous, pyro-twisted
firestarter

exulting, burning, destroying
racing and dancing and jumping
mad firebug

nightmare task to then put it out
stoking professionals’ self-doubt
the fireman

fighting fires of stupidity
or perhaps mad idiocy
faces firelit

their only thought to douse the flame
and afterwards assign the blame
post firefight…

Over at dVerse Poets Pub,  Laura Bloomsbury in Meeting the Bar: Critique and Craft, invites us to write a poem incorporating compound words, in a
form invented by Margaret R. Smith (source here):-

poem’s title includes the stem word

15 lines

5 stanzas

3 lines per stanza

rhyme scheme a,a,b

meter 8/8/3

last line of each stanza includes a compound word using the same stem
e.g. footsore, footstool, footage; OR underfoot; pussyfoot etc

I should say that Barbara and I have been bingeing “Fire Country”…

4 thoughts on “Firefight

  • August 21, 2026 at 2:35 pm
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    This made reminded me of Fahrenheit 451 at the beginning. So interesting to read of your unwitting inspiration!

    Reply
    • August 21, 2026 at 2:56 pm
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      Fahrenheit 451 – highbrow – Fire Country G lowbrow lol…

      Reply
  • August 21, 2026 at 2:57 pm
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    Mental blazes are even worse,
    Sometimes leading to cracking verse.
    Your firestorm.

    Reply
    • August 21, 2026 at 2:58 pm
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      👏👏👏

      Reply

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